Artificial tooth.



PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

E. L. TOWNSEND. ARTIFICIAL TOOTH. APPLICATION FILED DEC. so. 1903.

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Attorneys EMORY L. TOWNSEND, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed December 80, 1903- Sorial No. 187,231.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMORY L. TOWNSEND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in ArtificialTeeth, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a backing and facing forartificial teeth so constructed that if the facing of porcelain isfractured or damaged it may be expeditiously and conveniently removedfrom the backing and another facing conveniently substituted. Iaccomplish this object by the devices described herein, and illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a verticallongitudinal section of one of my improved teeth, showing it applied toa tooth in the fragment of the jaw. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal verticalsection of a slightlymodified form of tooth detached from the jaw. Figs.3, 4, 5, and 6 are longitudinal vertical sections of my improved toothready for use.

In the drawings, A is the jaw, and B is the root of a tooth in placetherein, to which is affixed my improved artificial tooth in the usualmanner. This tooth is composed of the porcelain front C, from the backof which projects a single pin of wire D, having a head D, which headisjust small enough to pass into the opening in the socket E', secured tothe metal back F. This socket is preferably constructed in shape thefrustum of a cone, with a central opening therethrough in-shape thefrustum of a cone with the smaller part of the opening presented to theporcelain facing, and it is secured to the metal back by soldering.After the socket is secured to the metal back the aperture in the socketis filled with plastic cement Sr, and the facing presented to theporcelain is also coated with plastic cement and the porcelain facing isthen pressed upon the same and the head of the pin is forced into thesocket, thereby forcing a portion of the cement out of the socket andmaking a complete bond between the porcelain facing and the metal backas soon as the cement has hardened. I have found in practice that asingle pin will unite the porcelain facing to the metal back so securelythat the facing will break before the pin can be withdrawn from thesocket and that after the porcelain is removed from the pin the body ofthe pin will break without pulling the head out of the socket. If at anytime the porcelain front should break, by removing the fragments fromthe backing the pin can be drilled out of the socket and the cementremoved therefrom,when a new porcelain facing can be secured thereto, asbefore described.

In Figs. 1, 4E, and 6 I have shown the lower back of the porcelainfacing as a plain surface. In Figs. 2, 3, and 5 I have shown the facingas provided with a slight circular recess C, with a correspondingprojection F in the metal back to pass thereinto, the object of which isto provide an additional safeguard against the facing turning upon theback.

In Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6 I have shown a socket as being wholly inclosedwithin the metal back so as to leave the upper front part of the metalback a plain surface, which is the preferable form of making the toothwhere space sufficient therefor is had; but where the space iscontracted, as in front teeth, I prefer to make a depression O in theback of the porcelain facing and secure the socket to the metal back sothat it projects forwardly therefrom and will be partly seated in thedepression of the facing, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with an imperforate recessed metallic back, a socketsecured in the recess, said socket having a countersunk recess at theinner end of the opening through it, of an artificial tooth having aheaded stud, the head of which is of a size to just enter the hole inthe socket, and the space between the head of the stud and within thesocket filled with a cement which upon hardening holds the studpermanently in place.

2. The combination with an imperforate metallic back, a socket securedtherein, said socket having a countersunk recess at the inner end of theopening through it, of an artificial tooth having a headed stud, thehead of which is of a size to just enter the hole in the socket, and thespace between the head of the stud and within the socket filled with acement which upon hardening holds the stud permanently in place, andmeans comprising a recess and projection for preventing a tendency ofthe tooth to turn upon its support.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 21st day of December, 1903.

EMORY L. TOWNSEND.

Witnesses:

G. E. HARPHAM, HENRY P. HAZARD.

